A Simple Solution to Determine Your Text Length with CSS

Controlling text length in web development can be a tricky task. Whether you’re dealing with blog posts, product descriptions, or any other text-based content, you often find yourself struggling with text that doesn’t fit well within the design. This tutorial will show you how to use the CSS Line Clamp property to manage your text length effortlessly.

What is CSS Line Clamp?

CSS Line Clamp is a non-standard property that allows you to limit the number of visible lines in an HTML element. It’s a handy way to manage overflowing text, ensuring that your layout remains clean and organized.

Tip: This property is supported in most modern browsers like Chrome and Safari. However, it may not work as expected in some older browsers.

Applying the CSS Class

To get started, you’ll need to apply a custom CSS class to the HTML element containing the text you want to control. For instance, if you’re using a WordPress theme, you can add the class to the post content.

1. Select the Text Element
   Navigate to the HTML element you want to control.
2. Give the element a CSS class
   Add a new class, let’s call it truncate

Implementing Line Clamp

Once you’ve applied the class, it’s time to add the CSS rules.

1. Select the Element
   Navigate to the element you want to control.
2. Add Custom CSS
   Add the CSS code below:

   .truncate {
     display: -webkit-box;
     -webkit-line-clamp: 3;
     -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
     overflow: hidden;
   }
   

Here, -webkit-line-clamp: 3; specifies that only three lines of text will be displayed.

Responsive Design with Line Clamp

You can also use media queries to control the number of lines displayed based on the screen size.

@media (max-width: 767px) {
  .truncate {
    -webkit-line-clamp: 2;
  }
}

This will display only two lines of text when the screen width is below 767 pixels.

Real-Life Examples

Imagine you’re running an e-commerce site, and you want to display product descriptions. Using the line clamp function, you can ensure that each product description occupies only a specific number of lines, making your layout much more uniform.

Supplementary Resources

• MDN Web Docs on Line Clamp
• CSS Tricks Article on Line Clamp

Conclusion of Changing Text Length with CSS

Managing text length with CSS doesn’t have to be complicated. The CSS Line Clamp property offers a way to control the number of lines displayed, making your web layouts cleaner and more organized.